Club coaches need to get proper accreditation and gain enough international experience to qualify as head coach of the Fiji 7s team.
Fiji Rugby recently advertised the position of the Fiji 7s head coach following Gareth Baber’s move into the 15s code as Edinburgh’s new skills and
assistant attack coach.
Under the knowledge, skill and experience requirement, the applicant for the Fiji 7s head coach must have a minimum World Rugby certified level three coaching certification, must have good understanding of sports science and its relevance to high-performance sports and have three years
coaching experience at top-level competition and coaching at international level.
Fiji Rugby chief executive officer John O’Connor said they had been doing a lot of work with the club coaches in 7s trying to get them accreditation
from level one to level two.
O’Connor said with Baber now gone, they had only three accredited local coaches who were part of their Fiji Rugby program.
“They are Saiasi Fuli, Timoci Volavola and Apenisa Nasilasila, all of whom are with our women’s program,” O’Connor said.
“Coaching clubs and to coach at international level is different.
It is a huge step forward and it involves a lot of planning and preparation. Coaches need to put their hands up. At the moment, we only have three people who have attained level two coaching accreditation in 7s rugby.”
Some local coaches who have guided the Fijian 7s team in the past included the late Rt Kitione Tuibua and Rupeni Ravono, Peni Veidreyaki, Waisale
Serevi, Pauliasi Tabulutu, Alivereti Dere, Alifereti Cawanibuka, Iliesa Tanivula, Josateki Savou, Tomasi Cama, Senivalati Laulau, Etuate Waqa (late),
Timoci Wainiqolo and Aliposo Waqaliti (late).
“It is easy to say that local coaches can coach at international level but we want to see the coaches putting their hands up. We want to make sure that
they complete their level two accreditation then we can consider them.”
Applications for the Fiji 7s head coach position closes on November 13.
